Never Alone (Part 1 of A Future Doctor Series)
by Nurse Betty Page
Summary: Book 1 :Whilst pursuing Missy, the Doctor crash lands in 1989 and meets Tina, a young woman who cares for him as he recovers from his injuries. The Doctor leaves vowing to return - but finds 27 years have passed by. When Missy shows up and Earth is at risk, who will Tina decide to trust - Missy or the man who left her behind - who will also regenerate before their final reunion...
1. Chapter 1

**Never Alone**

 **Author note:**

 **This fic came about because I was watching The Eleventh Hour - and I came up with a plot with a few shades of that, but where the Twelfth Doctor meets a potential companion and promises to be right back - but accidentally returns many years later for her – and in the time that has passed, Missy has planted something nasty and is waiting for it to grow so she can use it to destroy Earth. So some of this was inspired by Eleventh Hour, because I kind of like the idea of the Doctor meeting someone, promising to return and accidentally leaving it late! Also shades of Desperately Seeking Susan with the polaroid camera selfie moment!**

 **This fic has a sequel, called Payback.**

* * *

 **Summary:**

 **After crash landing his Tardis back in 1989, the Doctor wanders into a lonely country house where the only occupant is nineteen year old Tina White, house sitting the currently empty home of a local villain, who is away on 'business'. Tina is recovering from a party the night before, and at first thinks the Doctor is a friend of the home owner – but then he collapses after grabbing hold of her and demanding she look at him – warning her that _'It's not in your eyes yet, but it soon will be.'_**

 **Tina takes care of the Doctor, who begins to recover by morning, and then explains to her that he is from another planet. At first she doubts him, but when he warns her that a woman called Missy is not to be trusted, and predicts that Tina will one day own this house because she is tied to it in ways she can't imagine, she begins to wonder why he sounds so _very_ convincing. And while this is happening, she is fighting the urge to make a move on this older man she has been attracted to from the moment they first met...**

 **Despite still being in pain from the crash landing, the Doctor insists he must leave, saying a few days in the Tardis is all he needs to set himself right. Tina begs him to take her with him - and the Doctor tells her that he will return for her tomorrow night. After the Tardis vanishes, Tina returns to the house – to find Missy waiting for her.**

 **Missy persuades her that the Doctor is a dangerous man, who she assures her never keeps his promises. Then she hands her a strange crystal and tells her as long as she guards it for her, she will guarantee her safety, and will return for the crystal one day 'knowing where to find her'. Unsure who to trust, Tina waits. _And waits, and waits and waits._ The Doctor had left with every intention of returning as promised, but in his weakened state had turned a dial a little too far, taking his course back to Tina the long way around...**

 **When he returns, twenty seven years have passed, and as predicted, Tina is now the wealthy owner of the lonely country house – with a look in her eyes he had expected to see, brought about by a terrible night after he had left, when Tina had shot dead the local villain who had tried to force himself on her – and then run away with a suitcase containing diamonds worth a fortune... But Tina had been forced to return to the house, buying the place and living there for close on thirty years, feeling sure the place was calling to her – or that the ghost of the man she killed is haunting her...**

 **Can the Doctor persuade her to see the truth, that the presence she has felt all these years is actually alien, or will this be a battle that he will lose as Tina has to choose who to trust – the Doctor, or Missy?**

* * *

 **Rated M**

 **Warnings: Some description of violence, and some scenes of adult themes/discussions and scenes of a sexual nature, with lots of Twelve hotness.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but my deep passion for this fandom!**

* * *

Introduction:

 **July 1989, sometime after midnight:**

" _It starts with me, and a dark night on a lonely road and I'm running in white stilettos carrying a suitcase full of diamonds. And while I'm running I'm trying to breathe. And I'm thinking about that man and his blue box, and even now, even though I know he's let me down, I'm wondering if he's ever coming back. I think I'll always be watching the stars..."_

Those words ran through her head as she ran down the empty road, running from the house and the man she had just killed. It was going through her mind again, how the charming and handsome man who everyone called a gangster had turned on her when she had walked in on him and his suitcase. She had seen the diamonds. He had grabbed her. As soon as he pinned her to the bed she knew what was going to happen, and she knew she wasn't getting out of there alive. And so she had reached for his gun. The boom played over in her mind, along with the splatter of blood that seemed to turn the world down to crimson.

Then came the thought:

 _The Doctor had known this was coming._

 _He had said, that look wasn't yet in her eyes._

 _She was sure it was there now..._

 _And he was gone._

She crossed a bridge, got to the other side and sat down on the grass with the case beside her, getting her breath back as the full moon shone fat and silver in a velvet sky. Up in that velvet, stars shimmered and she thought of him again.

" _Please come back, Doctor..."_ Tina said as she looked skyward and desperation burned in her eyes, _"Don't leave me in this mess!"_

And those stars continued to glitter as the white light of the moon shone down, as if to remind her of its timelessness, and of the man who was a lord of time, who travelled the stars - and who seemed to have no intention of ever coming back...

* * *

Chapter 1

 **July 1989, two days before she ran:**

 _There was a storm that morning._

Tina woke up to it and she turned off the radio as the top forty blared out the latest chart hits - and the sounds that had been rocking the walls of the country house the night before suddenly seemed _too_ loud.

She rolled over in a bed that was wide and empty as she wished the day would come when she wouldn't sleep alone – the silk sheets were creased and she could smell sweat and alcohol – her own stink after a night of partying.

She gave a sigh and got out of bed, noticed the time on the bedside clock read just gone eleven am, and as the rain started to fall and the skies darkened as a rumble of thunder sounded, she headed for the bathroom, missing the streak of lightning that crossed the sky, and the sight of a blue box hitting the ground and an unearthly glow coming from within, reflected from the windows as it sat there in the woodland just beyond the house...

* * *

The storm was still raging by the time Tina had left the shower. By now, she sat at the dresser with her head down as she gave her hair a blast from the dryer and worked handfuls of hair mousse through it to give herself big _big_ hair. Then she turned the dryer off, left it on the table and looked into the mirror, liking the way her scrunched hair fell in tendrils of honey-gold and reached her shoulders. She grabbed her make up bag, put on eyeliner and mascara and lipstick and left the rest, feeling too tired to bother with the full works. Then she glanced at the message scrawled on the mirror, a left over from the night before and written in the hand of her closest friend:  
 _'Tina, great house great party, see ya soon!'_

She reached for a tissue from a box on the dresser, spat on it and then wiped the message off.

"Thanks a lot April,"she murmured as she cleaned away the evidence, "I was hired to house sit _not_ take the place apart!"

She took a second tissue, cleaned away the last pink smudge and this time didn't need to use spit, then she put the tissues in the bin, her make up back in her over night bag and reached into it and took out a change of clothing:

Zebra print leggings, a wide black plastic belt and a red lycra top. She dressed quickly, and as another flash lit the sky she looked to the window where she could see nothing but a blur of the outside world – the glass was running with rain.

Another rumble of thunder sounded overhead and then there was a crack of thunder as she put on her big, black plastic hoop earrings, and then she put on black shoes with low heels because after the party last night she really didn't want to risk walking in her ankle boots, because those heels were high and her head wasn't quite clear enough yet to trust her balance in heels.

And as the thunder sounded again, a second crash sounded – and this one travelled down the hallway and up the stairs and made her catch her breath as again, there was a thump on the front door...

Her heart was racing as her blue eyes widened and she turned her head towards the open door and looked to the upper hall and the stairway that led down, for a moment all she could smell was the mousse in her hair and turning her head that fast made the room slip sideways, and she cursed herself for the martini she had sunk the night before as she wondered what to do.

 _There was another thump on the front door._

And Mason Franklin, the man who had hired her to house sit, was said to be a local villain. A gangster. In with some shady people, who she didn't want to know about. He had told her no one would come to the house, because he wasn't expecting anyone – but if someone _did_ show up, she was _not_ to answer the door...

" _Oh shit,"_ she whispered under her breath, and she went back to the window and inched aside the lace curtain.

Looking down, she saw a blurry, watery world where the figure of a man moved away from the house and looked up. He was staggering, swaying, as if injured or in pain.

"Okay, so maybe you're _not_ a threat," she muttered, guessing maybe someone had been in a car accident out on the road beyond the house, in this weather, it was a definite possibility... She opened up the window and looked down, seeing the man clearly as he stood in the pouring rain:

He was tall and thin and wearing a black suit. His jacket was open and the wind whipped it back showing a flash of crimson lining as he ran his fingers through wet, greying hair and looked up at her.

"My name is the Doctor," he called up, "I need help!"

She noticed one hand had moved inside his jacket and was now pressed against his side, his hand pressing firmly against his ribs.

"Please?" he called up, and then pain registered in his blue eyes, "Just let me in, I really do need help."

It wasn't the first time she had found an older man attractive, but the thought had crossed her mind as soon as she laid eyes on him. Then she guessed as she put him around fifty he was possibly a friend of Mr Franklin – although she saw no gun beneath his open jacket, and she had expected to see one after the stories she had heard...

"I'm not sure if I should," she called down to him.

The Doctor looked up at her, pressing again on his side to ease the pain.

"I'm the Doctor, I'm not dangerous, I crashed my Tardis and I'm injured. It's raining and I'm cold and I _need_ shelter!"

"Do you know Mr Franklin?" she called back.

He stared at her for a moment, and then he shook his head.

"No, but it _doesn't_ change the fact that I'm out here in the rain with broken ribs!"

"Who broke them?"

Impatience flashed in his eyes.

"The Tardis console when I crashed and got slammed against it! _Why?_ What difference does it make? If I was out there on the road, thrown out of a car wreck, bleeding to death, would you still be asking me all these questions as my life ebbed away?"

There was another rumble of thunder as more rain poured down.

"Point taken - I'll let you in!" she called back, and then she closed the window.

* * *

Down in the driveway, the Doctor pressed his hand harder against the dull ache that was spreading through the left side of his rib cage, and hurried for the shelter of the covered porch. As he got there, he leant against the wall, catching his breath as pain began to radiate outwards from the injury.

"Humans," he said as he sucked in a breath and kept his hand against the wound, "You don't know how lucky you are – six slow, gradual weeks to heal a broken bone. I get six weeks of pain in six _days_ before I heal!"

The door opened.

He looked at her, and she stared at him.

"Tardis?" she asked him, "What sort of a car is that?"

He looked down at her. She was shorter than him, her face was pretty and flushed with youth and her figure was as flawless as her features. By the look of her clothing he guessed he was in around the mid to late nineteen eighties.

"It's not a car," he said, adding, "Do you own this house yet?"

Her eyes widened.

"I could never afford a place like this!"

"Maybe not _yet_..." he looked past her, to the warm, dry hallway with its green carpet and pastel flower wallpaper.

"Let me in, I need to get out of the rain."

"Sorry."

She stepped aside and the Doctor walked in, as she closed the front door he took off his crimson lined jacket and hung it on a coat hook by the door, where droplets of water ran off the fabric and hit the carpet.

* * *

Now the rain sounded distant as it showered down outside, and the warmth and solidity of the old house felt like a cocoon as the two of them stood there, human and Time Lord, looking at each other.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and looked a little unsure of what to do next.

"Of _course_ I'm not okay!" he caught his breath, having snapped at her with those words as he clutched at his aching ribs, and she flinched at the sharpness of his tone. He was breaking out in a sweat and feeling light headed as he spoke again.

"Sorry...I heal faster than you humans but the pain, although brief, is nothing less than excruciating. _I need you to take me to bed_."

Her mascara coated eye widened. She was sure he had just said humans as if he wasn't one – but he had also mentioned going to bed with her, and that was the remark that stuck with her far more than the part about not being human.

"You want me to... _what_?" she asked.

"Take me upstairs... I need to lie down... I'm not sure I can make the climb up that staircase by myself."

"Okay," was all she said, and she put her arm around him and he gave a gasp, said something about _not being a hugger and that was uncomfortable on so many levels_ , and then she helped him make his slow and painful way up to the top of the staircase.

* * *

Tina led him through to the bedroom where she had slept the night before. She was pretty sure some of the other rooms would be messed up thanks to the party and she would have to make the beds, change sheets with stains and throw away used condom wrappers as well as cleaning up spilled drinks and possibly puke... this was the last time, the _very_ last she house sat and called her friends over...

But at least this room was reasonably clean and tidy, not that the state of the room bothered the Doctor, who unbuttoned his white shirt and stripped it off and then sat down heavily on the bed. He pressed his hand to his rib cage again, and as he took it away, Tina's view of his lean but toned body was sideways as she leant over to pick up his shirt from where it had fallen, and then as she draped it over a nearby chair, her gaze was still on him:

 _She didn't know this man, but the sight of him stripped to the waist made her ache in places she didn't want to think about as she noticed the soft hair that covered his chest, and the way removing his damp shirt had exposed his flesh to the air and made his nipples harden. Suddenly it was hard to look him in the eye as her face flushed - and she looked away to the rain washed window, then back at the Doctor and met his gaze._

"That looks bad," she said, glancing at the deep bruising to his side before looking sharply back to meet his gaze once more as she tried not to think about inhaling the scent of his skin while one of those hard nipples felt warm in her mouth as she sucked and then bit gently...

 _No..._

She didn't want to think about those things, because there was a look in his eyes that said he would want more than foreplay - and she was still a virgin – at least, in the hymen not yet broken sense. She knew all there was to know about how to make a man come – and she had not been short of willing partners, either. But she had not yet gone all the way with anyone, and she was sure that was why the way she felt about this man almost scared her...

"I'll be fine," he said, but his face had paled as he perspired heavily.

"I can probably find painkillers in the bathroom -"

"I said I'll be fine," he replied, and drew in another sharp breath as he pressed his hand against the injury, and then his eyes widened as he tried to handle the bolt of pain that shot through his body, and failed badly as he gave a gasp and then struggled to focus as the pain started to take over.

She stepped closer, and he heard her say something about _Was everything okay..._

 _What a dumb question._

 _He was about to pass out..._

"No, I'm not okay, Tina!" he said, and she gasped as he grabbed her arm as he pulled her closer and struggled to fight against the darkness that was enclosing him, "And I know... You never told me your name... But I already know it...I know _everything_ about you...look in my eyes..."

She met his gaze with a wide eyed, alarmed look as she wondered how he had known her name, and on meeting his steel gaze she felt as if something ancient and strange had pierced her soul.

" _It's not there yet,"_ he said breathlessly, _"It's not in your eyes yet...but it will be..."_

Then he let go of her, breathed out and slumped back against the pillow.

She stood there for a moment, watching his chest rise and fall as he remained motionless, then she carefully lifted him, raising his legs on to the bed and covering him with a blanket.

Tina stood there watching over the wounded man as the rain continued to fall and the storm clouds lightened, she watched him until the rain became a light pattering that danced against the window and continued to dance even as a hint of sunlight broke through cloud, and all the while she looked down at the man who called himself the Doctor asking her self one question:

 _If he really was a total stranger, how the hell did he know her name?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The rain stopped just before three in the afternoon.

By then, Tina had cleaned up the mess, tidied the house and generally hidden all evidence of last nights party. And the man called the Doctor was still sleeping. At least, she _hoped_ he was sleeping and not unconscious, it was only the way he occasionally turned and a flicker of a frown came to his face as he felt discomfort, that told her he was actually recovering.

She had cautiously lifted back the blanket and seen the vivid bruising to his side, and then she had replaced the blanket again, guessing if he was in pain before he rested, when he woke up, it wouldn't be much better. It looked painful, and she didn't like to think how he would feel when he finally woke again and tried to sit up. Then, as she sat there on the chair brought over from the dresser to his bedside, she looked at his sleeping face and thought about his remark, the one he had made about _humans._ He had said that as if he wasn't human, which was crazy – he was human, he had to be, he looked human...

Then Tina thought about the other remark he had made – about something he had expected to see in her eyes – what was that about?

 _She hoped he was normal._

 _So far, everything seemed to point to the fact that he might well be a nutter..._

 _Albeit a good looking one._

She couldn't help but think that as she watched him sleep. He was a lot older than her, and she was sure she had felt something when he had looked into her eyes that seemed – as weird as it sounded – that he was even older than he looked, as if he was ageless, as old as time... None of that made sense, but it was what she felt.

And then he turned his head and opened his eyes and looked at her, and looking right into his eyes gave her that odd feeling again:

 _He was not like any man she had ever met before, or ever would again. And she didn't know why..._

"I don't think I can move yet. I will soon, just not yet. I broke three ribs."

She stared at him.

"You're sure?"

He slid his hand down to the bruising on his rib cage, pain briefly registered on his face and then it was gone.

"Yes, I'm sure."

And his gaze fixed on her.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"You! Is that okay?"

He had said it so openly, as if it was obvious.

She shrugged.

"I suppose it is. Why are you looking at me?"

The Doctor glanced about the room.

"Would you rather I didn't look at you? That's okay, I don't mind. Maybe you don't like being looked at. I don't like hugging people."

"Why?"

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why don't you like hugging people?" she asked him.

The Doctor answered right away.

"Because I can't see the look on their face. I don't know what they might be hiding."

"Oh." It was all she could think to say.

The Doctor looked at her intently, thinking this young human woman was attractive, and feeling as if he had known her for years – he knew some how that he would, because the future was yet to be and still had been written on some page out there in the infinite map of time.

"So how many years have you lived here?"

She shook her head.

"I don't live here."

"But you've bought the place? You're looking good, must be all that money -"

"What money?" she asked.

The Doctor paused, closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain in his side as he thought of the future and the grey area cleared, along with the left over of a concussion.

"Sorry." he met her gaze again, "I was confused...It hasn't happened yet."

There it was again, that spooky feeling as she looked into his eyes, and the fact that he flashed her a smile only made her feel that perhaps he was lying about something, or hiding something about her future – but how could he know any of that stuff, anyway?

"Sorry," he said again, "I knocked myself out when I crashed. I was a little bit confused. A bit like you are now, hearing all this and making no sense of it, even though it feels like it could be true, although you're wondering how..."

And he gave her a knowing look.

"I don't get any of this," she replied honestly, "I totally get that you might have concussion but the rest of it makes no sense."

" _Because it's 1989 and it hasn't happened yet."_

His voice had dropped as he looked at her. Suddenly she felt a chill run over her flesh that prickled her skin and made her want to shiver, and she wasn't sure what it meant.

"You said that to me before you passed out," she reminded him, "What are you talking about, Doctor? And what sort of a name is that? What's your real name and where are you from?"

He shifted cautiously, pushed the pillow up and leant back on it and looked at her once more.

"You won't believe me."

"I'll give it a go."

She looked so strong, so determined to make sense of all he had said – and now the Doctor was reluctant to tell her. He knew the path her life would take, but also felt reluctant to share too much information too soon. Here she was aged nineteen, about to turn twenty - and her future as it was written was nothing like she had imagined it would be...

He held out his hand.

"Go on," he said, "Take hold of my hand. Just for a moment, just do it..."

She reached out and the charms on her gold bracelet caught on the light as she placed her hand in his.

"One day you'll own this house," he said to her, "It will come at a price – a personal cost to you, but you'll own this place. "

She blinked.

"Are you trying to tell my fortune or something?"

He kept a gentle grip on her hand.

"Time has fixed points, Tina. Some of it can be altered, but I wouldn't want to tinker with certain aspects. It's too risky. But I will tell you this – you think you'll get away from the under world, but you'll need them to sort out the money. You already have connections on the street, those guys your late father knew. And this house will mean something to you, in fact you won't be able to keep away from the place. You'll buy this house and live here because of the ties to the past. You'll have the money and the mansion. I'm sorry about the rest, but I think you already know life isn't really like a fairy tale."

She stared at him. Nothing he had said made sense, because he was talking about the future and to her, it stretched out unknown, but his words seemed to ring true in a way she couldn't explain...

"So I'll never find true love?" she whispered.

And he looked into her eyes and thought of Clara, and wondered why. Then he pushed that thought firmly aside.

"I don't know," he said quickly, and let go of her hand.

His side was aching and he blamed the pain on being the reason his twin hearts were beating a little faster than usual. Or perhaps it was how he felt when he looked into her eyes...

"I won't stay long,"he added, "Maybe another day and then I'll be gone. By then my Tardis will have repaired itself. It was minor damage compared to what happened to me."

"What did happen?" she asked.

As he replied, she wondered why she didn't laugh it off or call him mad – but every word he said seemed to whisper of truth, even though it seemed impossible:

"I'm not human," he stated, "I'm a Time Lord, from a planet far from here called Gallifrey. I've lived for many years and had many lifetimes. My species doesn't die, it simply regenerates. I'm very familiar with your world and people, Earth is a planet I consider a second home. And I'd do anything to defend it. I have an old enemy, her name is Missy. She stole something and I'm sure she has bad intentions for it and I tried to stop her but she out ran me and I crashed here. Which brings me to this point: If you meet her, don't trust her. The fact that my Tardis ended up here in pursuit of her must mean she's close by, or has already been and gone. If I'm right, she will come back one day. I just hope when she does, you're not dragged into this mess."

"What mess?" she asked, but as pain flickered in his side, pain registered on his face and he settled back against the pillow, turned back the cover on the bed and placed his hand on his deeply bruised side.

"I heal fast. The pain will be bad. But I'll be away from here soon enough."

Her gaze shifted from the bruising to his toned and perfect chest, and as she thought again about her mouth on his body, she felt a bolt of pleasure shoot through her insides, as if her body was begging her to let it happen, and hand this man her virginity at once.

Their gaze had locked a little too long, and the Doctor knew it.

"I'm not a hugger," he repeated, and there was a flicker of a shy smile about his lips, and then it was gone.

"I know that," she replied.

"Good," he said, and laid back with the covers still exposing his upper body as he wished the pain would go away in his side as he wished at the same time that the stirrings of an erection would also go away. To him,all humans were fascinating and mostly wonderful – but so short in their life spans, and this one was still young. She was almost twenty. Every human lover he had ever taken had been younger than him simply because he liked the company of humans and he was so very old and his species was to blame for that difference, but this one was youthful and still learning about the world she was stepping into – a harsh world, one that just wouldn't be fair on one so innocent.

She smiled at him, and he silently wished his body would not respond like his erection had a mind of its own.

"I think I'll rest now." he told her, and closed his eyes.

She got up and stepped closer. He heard her take that step, he smelled the scent of her perfume – a cheap body spray deodorant – it was light and fragrant despite its simplicity and he liked that, and wished that he didn't like it so much. She was a good person. Right here and now, she was sweet and innocent and reminded him of all the things that he thought of when he thought of earth and its people and why he adored them. He even thought far back to Rose and another lifetime in that moment. Then as she ran her hand over his hair, he tensed and snapped his eyes open.

"What?" he asked her.

She took her hand off him and smiled.

"Sorry,I didn't mean to make you jump. I was just wondering if you wanted anything – water, tea?"

"Coffee, later on. Not right now, I need to sleep."

She looked down at him and he saw a hint of fascination in her eyes. Then she touched his hair again, running her fingers through it lightly, and as much as he wanted to protest, it felt too good to object.

"You really believe you're an alien?" she said.

"I am an alien. And my Tardis is my ship. I'll show it to you, as soon as I'm healed enough to get out of this bed. I promise you I'm not lying!"

"Okay," she replied, and it was said in a tone of voice the reminded him of Clara: A simple answer, and only she truly knew what she really meant by it...

"Maybe you believe me or maybe you don't," he said to her, "But I'll show you tomorrow."

Then he turned over on his side, and gave a cry of pain that was muffled into the pillow as he grabbed at his side.

"Oh no, I shouldn't have done that... just felt the bone snap again..."

He took a few short breaths as he perspired, and then he closed his eyes again.

"Leave me to rest. I need to keep still, I'm in a bit of a mess."

"I'll be right here," he heard her say, then he let himself slide deep into a velvet darkness, where sleep went deep and dreamless and only then did real healing begin to commence.

* * *

By nightfall, the Doctor was still sleeping.

Tina switched on the bedside lamp and closed the window as the evening air gave way to a hint of night time chill, and as the Doctor turned on his back and murmured a faint protest of pain and carried on sleeping, she climbed on to the bed and kicked off her shoes and slid under the covers beside him. Her heart was racing as she made that daring move, and as she settled beside him taking care not to touch him and remembering how he had said he didn't like hugging, she lay there on her side, watching him sleep, then her gaze wandered over his bare chest and she watched it rise and fall, now he was sleeping peacefully.

The lamp light threw a soft glow about the room and seemed to lift the deep lines from his face, and as she looked at him she smiled, deciding even if he was mad, she still liked the man who believed he was an alien...

For a moment, she wondered what she would do if she found out he actually _was_ a real alien...then she smiled at the thought and turned out the light, deciding to lay beside him at least for a little while, enjoying the masculine scent of him as he rested beside her. He was in a deep sleep. He would never know...

* * *

The Doctor woke to early morning sunshine falling through soft nets, and as he opened his eyes, he pushed the covers down to his waist and took in a breath and let it out cautiously, noticing the deep bruising was slowly starting to fade even though the pain was still present.

"A slight improvement," he said aloud.

"Good," she whispered, and her hand slid around his waist, and he smiled, forgetting the time and place as the familiarity of the warmth of a lover played tricks on his mind.

"I'll be fine, Clara," he whispered, "I'm a Time Lord, I heal fast."

And then he laid back, enjoying the freedom of being able to move on to his back with less pain than before. He looked up at the ceiling. Then he remembered where he was, and it hit him like lightning that Clara was no longer with him, and that meant only one thing:

 _Tina was in his bed..._

His eyes widened in alarm as he grabbed the covers and pulled them up sharply. It was then he turned his head and looked at her, and she looked at him, alarm registering in her eyes as she realised it was daylight and she had slept far too long beside a man who really hadn't wanted her there in the first place...

"I'm sorry...I was just keeping an eye on you and I fell asleep!"

"Okay, thank you for your concern - you can get out of my bed now," he replied nervously, keeping a tight hold on the covers.

She got up. The Doctor watched as she shot him an apologetic glance, and then she went over to her bag, unzipped it and took out a change of clothing.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to do that...I just wanted to watch over you, I meant to stay there for a couple of hours and then -"

"Could you get changed in another room?" he asked.

She had her back turned to him as she stepped out of her zebra print leggings and he saw her dark silky underwear and how it fitted her perfectly and then felt bad for looking. But as she stripped off her top and he saw the back of her bra strap, he looked away quickly.

"I won't be long," she told him, "And I've got my back turned."

"I'm not one of your friends and this isn't a sleep over!" he said sharply, and then he braced himself for the pain that would follow as he sat up in bed, and paused to clutch at his healing ribs.

"Can you get dressed in another room, please?"

She stopped looking through her bag and turned around.

"Why?" she asked.

The Doctor's gaze darkened as he took in the sight of her standing there in her underwear, a matching bra and knickers set that was silk and lace and rather sheer. She knew what she was doing, and he wished that she wouldn't do it. He was a Time Lord but still male and he knew when a female of any species was making a play for him and now, while he was alone and sore and his hearts still ached for a distant lost memory of a life with a love called Clara, she was _very_ tempting...

"You know what you're doing and I think you should stop," he said, looking at her knowingly.

She walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it.

"I'm twenty years old in six weeks time," she replied, "And I've had boyfriends. I know about sex. The only thing I haven't done yet is lose my virginity."

He laughed nervously.

"And you want to lose it to an alien?"

She smiled.

"Maybe. Or an attractive, older, experienced man who _thinks_ he's an alien?"

The Doctor's face flushed and he felt awkwardly shy, then he took hold of her hand and placed it on the left side of his chest.

"Feel that?"

She nodded.

"Your heart beat. What about it?"

He moved her hand to the right side of his chest, and then as she felt the beat of a second heart, her eyes widened in surprise.

"No way!"

" _Yes way_ Tina, I have two hearts, I'm an alien," he confirmed.

She shifted closer to him and let go of his hand and placed her head against his chest, pressing her ear to the warmth of his skin as she listened in fascination to the double beat.

"Wow... I _can_ hear two hearts!" she exclaimed, and then she looked up and into his eyes. And as she smiled and so did he, the Doctor's smile faded as he realised she had been smart about this and taken him by surprise - now she was up close to him, so close their lips were almost touching as she looked into his eyes, and he wanted her even though he wished he didn't, she knew it and he felt very close to admitting defeat and giving into her now.

"You're a little too close," he said politely.

The look in her eyes was one of pure desire.

"No close enough," she murmured, and leant in, surprising him with a soft kiss that he quickly broke away from.

"Don't...I can't... not with you. Not here under these circumstances... it wouldn't be right."

"It's not wrong either," she reminded him.

The Doctor gave a sigh and looked at her, feeling certain she was about to get what she wanted, because he was injured and tired and she was so persuasive and his body was screaming _yes_ even though his mind was objecting...

"I think you should get dressed now," he said.

But she was still on the bed and close to him, and as she ran her fingers through his hair, his erection ached beneath the covers and he gave her a weary look.

"I need some coffee," he said, "Could you make me coffee, please?"

Disappointment reflected in her eyes as she got off the bed.

"Okay, if it makes you feel better."

Suddenly he felt a tug at his twin hearts, and he knew what that meant – he _really_ didn't want to let her go, even though letting go would have been the wisest and easiest choice to make. He ignored the pain in his ribs and drew in a breath, summoning his courage as she turned back to her overnight bag to put on some clothes.

" _In your underwear."_

She turned around and looked at him in surprise.

"What was that, Doctor?"

She had started to smile, and so did he as he said it again.

"I said, you can make me some coffee just as you are – in your underwear. And then we'll see what happens next."

Her eyes sparkled as she smiled, and then she left the room and headed for the stairs.

For a brief moment the Doctor considered escaping out the window but then remembered he had broken ribs and it was one hell of a drop to the ground from up here. Then he laughed at the thought, and enjoyed the feeling of arousal that easily dampened down his pain as he thought of what would happen when Tina returned – and hoped she would be content with what he was prepared to give her, because although he wanted to make her happy, he certainly wasn't going to be taking her virginity – she wasn't ready for a full on encounter with a Time Lord just yet, and wouldn't be for many years to come...

 _Yes, he would satisfy her, but on his terms, and his terms were not negotiable..._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tina made the coffee quickly, then took it back upstairs, and as she approached the bedroom her excitement was mounting. She went inside and placed the coffee on the table next to the Doctor's bed, and then as she met his gaze she smiled warmly.

"Here I am."

"So you are," he replied, "Come over here, lay beside me – but don't touch me!"

As she go on to the bed she gave a sigh.

"I know, you're not a hugger."

"I also have three broken ribs that are mending painfully. Please don't go near them!"

She lay on her back beside him, and then she turned her head and smiled.

"So what happens now?"

She ran her fingers through his hair and the feel of her touch was distracting, but he gently pushed her hand away and looked into her eyes.

"You know what your problem is?" he asked her as he cautiously turned on his side – the side that was undamaged – and looked at her intently.

"I'm sure you're going to tell me," she replied.

He smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder. He could tell by the way she caught her breath at his touch that she wanted his hands all over her, but she would have to wait for more...

"Tina,"he said softly,"You're a strange girl. You've always dreamed about the handsome prince who comes to your rescue but you've met many of guys like that and they just don't do it for you. That's because you don't want to be sleeping beauty woken by a kiss. You want to be the girl in woods, followed by the wolf. You like the ways of the hunter, you want to be tracked down by one who sees you better than any other...who can _eat_ you better than any other. You'll always go for the wolf, that's what you need and it will never change."

His words hand been spoken softly as he rested his hand on her shoulder, and their eyes were locked, not once had he looked away from her as he had spoken so seductively.

"Are you a wolf?"

His expression was briefly playful.

"Maybe..I could be...Do you want me to be? _Take your knickers off_."

Her hands trembled as she obeyed him, but she didn't need to be told twice.

Then he pulled her closer and their lips touched, he kissed her gently, deeply, then gave a her a light kiss as he pulled away once more.

"I know what you want because I can read your mind, and I'm _not_ fucking you. It wouldn't be fair. You're not ready to make love with a Time Lord. But I _will_ make you happy."

He cautiously shifted down the bed, then as she was about to give a reply, her words were cut off by a gasp as he placed his hands on her thighs and pushed them firmly apart. The touch of his soft fingertips as he ran them down her dampened, warm flesh and then parted her wide made her give a low moan of pleasure. His breath was hot on her body, then he tasted her for the first time, and one taste was not enough as he started to lap at her sex, firmly, instinctively knowing how she liked it, and knowing it wouldn't take her long to reach climax, either.

Her fingers tangled in his hair and her thighs shook as she begged him for more, then she cried out as he sucked hard on her swollen flesh, stopping abruptly to place a kiss there and that made her thrust her hips upwards as she moaned again.

He breathed softly across the short, neatly trimmed hair between her legs, then he looked down at the sight of her, swollen and reddened by all the attention, and he took her in his mouth again, giving no mercy as she cried out at the intensity of it. His tongue moved over her swollen sex in a rhythm that she could not outlast, and she came hard, screaming as she grabbed at his shoulder and the hand that was tangled in his hair tugged on it as she thrust her body against his face. Then she slumped down, shattered from the most powerful orgasm she had ever experienced.

The Doctor lay beside her, carefully turned on to this back and considered it quite a victory that he had managed to give her so much pleasure despite his aching ribs.

"That was amazing!" Tina said as she looked into his eyes.

"I'm glad you thought so. But please don't return the favour, I'm still healing and I need my rest. If you made me come now that would literally drain my energy considerably - and I need it to heal myself."

She leant over him and kissed him, and it felt like the sealing of a promise that this would lead to more wonderful things, deep things, the kind that would make his twin hearts sing with joy at their union – and then he remembered there was a timeline to consider, and his hearts swung from joy to aching with sorrow.

"I can't stay, Tina. Remember, I was in pursuit of Missy – and if she ever turns up here, you have to run as far away as you can, she's dangerous!"

Tina smiled.

"I don't know about your stories about space and this Missy woman. All I know is I really like you, Doctor. I want you to stay here."

He looked at her apologetically.

"One more night – and I have to rest, I mean that – and then I have to leave. I need some time in the Tardis to complete my healing."

"So I'll get to see this ship of yours?"

"Yes you will," he promised, and he smiled as he pictured how she would react, the look on her face, when she realised he was telling the truth about being an alien from another world who owned a real space ship...

"My Tardis doesn't just travel in space," he added, "It travels through time as well. It's a time machine."

"So you could take me with you?"

He frowned.

"I...can't really say that would be a good idea. You see, I can bring you back moments after you left. We could be gone for years and I could return you to this time and place. But it's your timeline. I don't want to risk it. Suppose something happened out in space and I couldn't return you home like I planned? What then? The whole of your life would change, and perhaps change disastrously!"

"What's so special about my timeline?" she asked.

He looked into her eyes.

"Everyone has a place in the universe and a path they are meant to take. I like to think everyone's path matters."

She gave a sigh

"That's no answer!"

"I'm afraid it's all I can give you."

She leaned over the side of the bed, caught her bag by its strap and pulled it closer, and then she drew something out and switched it on.

"What do you think?" she asked, and she smiled into the bulky polariod camera and hit a button. The flash went off and the picture slid out of the bottom. She picked it up by a corner, waved it about in the hope of speeding up the development time and then put the picture on the table next to the bed.

"Well?" she asked him.

He looked to her camera.

"Oh I see, it's a polariod camera – instant pictures...One of the more expensive designs...these things will be obsolete when digital pictures come along."

"Digital?" she exclaimed, indicating to her watch, "Like this?"

"Not exactly."

She studied the camera for a moment, and then looked at the Doctor.

"You talk like you know about the future."

"That's because I do, I'm a time traveller."

"I thought you said you was an alien?"

He smiled.

"I'm both!"

Then she shifted closer, checking she was not on his damaged side, then she moved right up next to him, sharing his pillow as she held out the large, bulky camera.

"Smile..."

The Doctor waved his hand in front of it.

"Oh no, this isn't fair! I don't want my picture taken, Tina...stop it, you know I'm too sore to move!"

She giggled.

"Just one."

He looked at her and his hearts warmed through in a way they had not done for a long time, not since Clara had been in his life...

"Just one, and I mean it!" he told her.

She shifted closer until their cheeks were touching, and she smiled as the Doctor looked rather tense and waited for the flash to go off. As the picture slid out, she caught it and placed it next to the other one that was still developing, then she leant back, aimed the camera and took a third pic, smiling into the lens.

As the next picture slid from the bottom of the camera, and waved it about and then placed it with the others and put the camera back in her bag.

"I hope that's the last I'll see of that thing!" the Doctor exclaimed, "I'm really not in the mood for selfies!"

She looked at him.

"What's a selfie?"

"Never mind, you'll get it one day. Now I really need some rest, Tina. Thanks for the coffee."

She smiled as she moved closer to him, leaning in for another kiss, and he obliged her briefly.

"And thanks for that wonderful encounter we shared. Now please, I do need to rest."

"Okay," was all she said, and then she left him to sleep, and the Doctor rested easily and slept deeply, welcoming the rest and the healing it would bring.

* * *

Tina made plans that day as the Doctor rested – this would be the start of a big adventure. Either she was about to run off into time and space with an alien, or she was going to run off with a cute but crazy guy who _thought_ he was an alien...

 _Either way, it was a plan she welcomed._

But when late afternoon came around, she went upstairs to check on him and found him ready to leave. He was still sore, she could tell by the way he clutched at his ribs as he paused whilst putting on his shirt, and the bruising, although starting to fade, was still vivid.

"I'll be fine," he reminded her, "I just need a few days in my Tardis... If I leave now, I can come back for you when I'm better, it's easier for me that way. I just want to finish healing."

" _But I want you to take me with you!"_

He turned and stared at her – the back of her - as he noticed she had put on a dress with a lacy short skirt and was now slipping on white stilettos.

"Let me sort myself out first. Then maybe I can track down Missy and find out what she's up to -I have a time machine, I can be back for you tomorrow night!"

She turned around and stared at him.

" _Tonight._ You can make that thing come back to any time and place, right? Do it tonight. Do what you have to do and then return tonight for me. If you're telling the truth it will work because you can go off and do what you need to do and then use your machine to come back here for me. I'll be waiting."

He looked into her eyes.

"Then I will do that," he promised her, "But remember, Tina – when this is over, when you have to return one day, I have to bring you back to this time and place, I can't leave any gaps in your timeline."

She looked at him doubtfully, and paused to pick up the now developed pictures she had taken earlier.

" _Show me this time machine."_

The Doctor had refused help as he went down the stairway slowly and painfully, and as he struggled to put on his now dry jacket, she saw pain once more reflect in his eyes, but then it was gone.

"I'll be fine once I get back to the Tardis," he reminded her.

* * *

They left the house together, and she walked with him, stopping as he did each time he needed to catch his breath and press a hand to his aching ribs, and finally, as they entered the wooded area near the house, they came to the place where a police box stood.

"This is it?"she said, and then she shook her head.

"Okay, so you _are_ crazy. But I could still love you -"

" _What did you say?"_

His hand was poised to push open the door of the Tardis, and he looked back at her in surprise,and she knew those words had come out too fast and way too soon.

"I...I mean, I like you a lot, I don't care if you're crazy. Really Doctor, it makes no difference to me!"

"This is my ship," he replied, and opened up the door.

From inside came a low hum. The vast interior was bright with polished gleaming metal and as she looked to the console she stared in disbelief, then stepped back, taking in the size of the box, and then she looked inside again, and back at the Doctor.

"You're not lying!"

" _Obviously."_

The Doctor met her gaze, then his ribs ached and he longed to be back onboard his ship, the one place where he was sure his healing time would speed up.

"Tina, I have to go. I will be back for you, I promise. Be ready, I'll meet you here tonight."

"No!" she said in alarm as she suddenly remembered something, "Mr Franklin might take the keys back tonight! It depends when he gets back from his trip! Meet me down the main road, just off the other side of the bridge. I'll be waiting there."

The Doctor stepped closer to her and smiled.

"It doesn't matter where you are," he told her, "My Tardis will find you."

She smiled too.

"That's reassuring Doctor, but all the same, I want you to to have this."

And she handed him one of the pictures she had taken earlier, a polariod snapshot of her smiling into the camera, the picture he had called a selfie.

"I'll be sure to take care of it," he said, and then he reached for her awkwardly, and she understood that although he wasn't a hugger, he needed to hold her now.

"Careful!" he warned her, but she remembered his bruised and damaged ribs and put her arms around his shoulders and hugged him lightly, then he let go and stepped back.

"See you later, I won't be gone long," he promised, and then she nodded, and watched as he went inside the impossibly vast ship, then the door of the blue box closed and with a wheeze and whoosh and a scattering of leaves as a whirlwind briefly whipped up, the Tardis vanished.

* * *

Now he was alone and back in his Tardis, just being inside the place seemed to help the pain. He leant over the controls and turned a dial, then he took the picture of Tina from his pocket and slid it into a slot on the console, locking it away for safe keeping. Then he set a flight plan, and as the pain in his side throbbed and he gave a gasp, he turned a dial too far, then stepped back, clutching at his aching side.

His next thought was sleep, to mend the worst of the pain, then he could set about trying to find Missy – although he had a feeling that perhaps she had already eluded him.

But the time would come when they met again, and he knew one day the matter would be concluded. As he went off down the corridor to grab some rest and deep sleep that only the Tardis could encourage, his thoughts stayed on Tina, and how he planned to return to her.

He was yet to realise the truth:

 _In that moment of pain, when he had turned that dial, he had set the Tardis on a course that would take him back on a long way round trip – when he went back to find Tina, he would be close on thirty years late..._

* * *

Tina went back to the house, thinking only of grabbing her bags and waiting for her alien lover – that was how she had come to think of him – to return. She thought of what she had seen – the impossible, a vast ship inside that tiny blue box... and then she had thought about her encounter with the alien man who had come to the house for shelter.

With no phone calls to say Mr Franklin was likely to be back that day, she went back into the vast front room, opened up a bottle of wine and lay back on the sofa, swigged from the bottle a few times, then set it down on the table. She kicked off her shoes and closed her eyes and thought about the Doctor and his mouth on her body and suddenly she was swollen and damp all over again – she was sure the swelling had not properly gone down from her encounter with him, when he had said he would eat her, he had _certainly_ kept his promise...

She slid her fingers between her legs and began to rub slowly, not wanting it to happen too quickly, as the events of the afternoon played over in her mind.

He had left her feeling aroused and the ache for him only reminded her more sharply of how good it had been. Her fingers were sticky and she was swollen and her thighs were damp when she heard a knock on the door.

She quickly got up, pulled down her skirt, quickly wiping her fingers on the lace, and then she left off her shoes and hurried from the room and down the hallway, her excitement mounting as she hoped her lover had returned already...

* * *

 _It wasn't the Doctor._

As she opened the door she stared in surprise at the woman who stood on the doorstep with striking but cold eyes, a woman whose dark hair was swept up, and who wore a gown that looked decidedly Victorian.

"Hello," she said sweetly, "I do hope I got here in time...before that awful Doctor! He's really not to be trusted, you know," she told her, and then she stepped past her and entered the house.

She looked about the hallway and then back at Tina and smiled.

"Really," she promised, "You don't have to be afraid of me no matter what that _liar_ has said!"

And knowing nothing of the situation, Tina felt utterly confused.

"Who are you?" she said cautiously.

The woman smiled, pushing the door shut softly as she met her gaze as they stood together in the hallway.

"I'm your friend," she told her, "I'm the one who you really can trust. _My name is Missy.._."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: Just a mention that this chapter contains Missy X OC fem slash.**

Chapter 4

" _He's not coming back for you. He lies. The Doctor always lies."_

As Missy said those words, whilst sitting in the front room sipping tea, while she cautiously watched her from the sofa, Tina looked at her warily. Everything the Doctor had said about this woman ran through her head, but as she looked at her and the hour grew later and she heard no sound of a returning Tardis, she felt confused.

"I'm glad you invited me in," Missy said as she set down the tea cup in its china saucer, "You see, it's hard to know who to trust, I understand that. But I've come here bearing you no malice. He was chasing me to get _this_ back."

And she drew a crystal out of her pocket, it was deep lilac in shade and its rough edges were unpolished. Tina had expected to see it shine but instead it looked dull and lifeless, a piece of uninteresting rock...

"Why? What's so special about it?"she asked her.

"It's housing for a shape shifting creature,"Missy replied, "And I seem to have. _.mislaid it._.." her eyes shifted left and right about the room and then she looked again to Tina and smiled.

"As long as I have this in my possession, he can use his Tardis to find me. So I've decided to hand it over to you for safe keeping. It's harmless, just keep it for me until I come back for it. I may not be back for a few years but one day, when the time is right, I'll return. And I promise you, if you take care of this crystal for me, I guarantee your safety. When the Doctor returns I'll make sure no harm comes to you. And he will come back one day," she added, "But for this piece of rock – not for you. _He doesn't want you._ I'm sorry, but its true."

Then she got up and went over to the sofa and joined her, setting the crystal down on the table.

"I think I'm right in guessing he's been having his fun with you," Missy remarked, "I can smell something inviting in the air like somebody's had their pussy eaten recently...is it you?"

Tina's face flushed as she felt a tingle between her legs, Missy's words had woken up all those feelings the Doctor had left there when he had made her come and then said goodbye. She was still aching from him and for him and after the wine, felt a little too horny and loosened up to bother denying it...

"We might have had something together..."she said quietly.

Missy smiled and shifted closer, then without warning grabbed the hem of her skirt and flipped it up, revealing her sticky thighs and as Tina parted her legs as she gave into an increasing ache, Missy's hand on her thigh felt warm and soft. Tina's underwear was off, she was exposed and suddenly she wanted her to touch her there, and she shifted back in the seat and opened her legs wider as she gave a sigh.

"Oh, he's _really_ got you worked up..." Missy murmured, her fingers sliding down into warm wetness and spreading her wide in a way that made her gasp.

"I bet if I gave you a little lick I could taste him," she added, and then she lowered her head, sliding her tongue up and down warm, swollen flesh as Tina's legs trembled and she closed her eyes, giving into this seduction that was brand new. She had never been with a woman before, and the thrill of it was exhilarating...

Then as Missy took a mirrored make up compact from her pocket and opened it she looked, down seeing her reaching into the compact and accessing a concealed compartment.

"What are you doing?" Tina said.

By now Missy was knelt on the carpet in front of the sofa between her open legs.

"I've got a little something for you," she said, and she licked her fingertip and dipped it in the powder then closed the compact and put it back in her pocket. Then she held the delicate folds of her flesh wide, placed the coated finger on her clitoris and pressed firmly, rubbing in a slow, circular motion. Tina gave a gasp as the most sensitive part of her body throbbed hard and stayed swollen, as she looked down she saw her sex looking reddened and enlarged.

"What did you do?"

Missy was still holding her spread open, admiring the view. She looked up at her.

"It's just a stimulant to keep you aroused, keep that little pleasure button of yours erect for a few hours... Now, where was I..."

The feeling of such hyper arousal was too much. Tina spread her legs wider and gave a groan loudly as Missy placed her mouth on her and started to suck and then lick in a rough, bruising way that made her cry out and beg for more. Soon she was on the edge, and that was when she stopped and gently blew on the sensitive flesh.

"Not yet," she murmured, and as she toyed with her swollen flesh, teasing her with a fingertip and a nail sharp enough to feel as if she were plucking at her skin, she moved her finger over the place she had called her pleasure button, stopping quickly as Tina thrust her hips forward.

"I'd take you with me if I wasn't so busy with other plans," Missy said as her gaze stayed fixed on her swollen sex as she pressed her fingertip down firmly and began to rub quickly and roughly.

"But I have things to do to. Shame, because I could have taken you away from here and made you my slave. Oh, what fun I could have had with you... First thing I'd do is get rid of this pubic hair...expose you so I can see all your flesh going nice and flushed when I toy with it...and I'd have to make that little button of yours permanently erect, make you turned on all the time and up for anything..."

Tina could only cry out as her thighs shook and Missy continued to rub at her swollen flesh.

"But I suppose I'd better stop now – I have to go... _a little harder._..does that hurt?"

The rubbing had become hard and brutal and suddenly as orgasm exploded through her body, making her scream as wetness ran from her, Missy stopped rubbing, watched as she slumped down against the sofa, then she paused to pat the reddened flesh between her legs – movement that made Tina whimper now because she was so sensitive the pat had felt more like a slap.

"It was fun, I bet I'm more fun than he was...And don't forget dear, look after that crystal for me."

"Okay, I will," she said breathlessly, and she slowly opened her eyes to see Missy had left her now and was walking out the door. Tina wanted to follow but her thighs shook as she closed her legs, then she put her hand down there and pressed, giving a weak groan as more feelings of arousal shuddered through her body and wetness made her thighs damp.

* * *

Two hours later it was dark outside and Tina had gone to the bathroom and soaked a wash cloth in cold water and put it between her legs and been partly successful in bringing down the swelling, although little throbs of arousal still shot through her red, still swollen sex. She didn't bother with underwear because the swelling would have made wearing it uncomfortable, and so she just packed up her stuff, put the crystal in her pocket and hoped that Missy – despite the fun they had shared – had been lying when she said the Doctor had no intention of coming back for her.

 _Of course he would come back._

 _It was nightfall now, and he had promised..._

Then came the sound of the front door opening.

She had run down there hoping to see the Doctor – but instead it had been Mr Franklin, and he was carrying a heavy case.

"Evening Tina," said the heavy set, middle aged man in the sharp suit, "If you're ready to go, I'll just take this upstairs and go and get your money."

Then he went up the stairs carrying heavy suitcase. And she waited, but then curiosity got the better of her, and, as it usually did, time played out in the way it was mean to happen:

She had walked in and seen the diamonds. He had grabbed her, they had struggled, and then as she had been slammed onto the mattress, he had shoved up her skirt and seen how aroused she looked. That was when the look in his eyes had changed, and she realised not only was she not getting out of here alive, but the bastard was going to rape her first...

 _That was when she saw it, during the struggle - gun concealed at his side beneath his open jacket._

She had grabbed it, done it so fast he hadn't realised until it went off and he was soaked in blood and so were her hands... that was when the look in his eyes had changed, just after she pushed him off her and he fell to the floor lifeless, staring up at the ceiling while the blood continued to spread beneath him.

Tina had started to shake as she saw the mess and blood and then it dawned on her that she had just shot someone. She ran to the bathroom and washed the blood from her hands and the gun and then dried the weapon carefully using a towel and tossed it to the floor next to the corpse.

She had looked down at her clothing:

 _No stains. It had just been her hands, and they looked clean now, even if she knew differently._

The case was hard to shut. She slammed it down twice before the catches snapped shut, then she grabbed it by the handle, hauled it off the bed, picked up her over night bag and stepped over the body, half expecting it to come back to life and grab her ankle like she had seen happen in horror movies. But the man everyone said was a gangster stayed dead, and she hurried from the room and down the stairway, paused in the front room to get rid of the wine bottle, washing it out then smashing it into the bin, and then she grabbed her bag and the case full of diamonds, turned the lock sharply and wrenched open the front door, and then she was gone.

Then she was running away from the house and down the lonely, quiet road, carrying a suit case full of diamonds, running in the dark in white stilettos and as she ran she thought of the Doctor. He should have been back by now...

But when she reached the other side of the bridge and sat down, no Tardis came. Then she looked skyward and wondered where he was, and that was when she started to cry, feeling sure she would always be watching the stars, even if he had no intention of coming back, because she knew a small part of her would always be hoping that he did...

* * *

 **Twenty-Seven Years Later:**

The Tardis landed smoothly in the woodland, sending just a light flurry of leaves torn from branches protesting at the sudden whirlwind. And the last of the leaves fell to the ground, the door opened and the Doctor stepped out. Coming back here brought back fond memories of Tina, and the promise he had made. The time he had spent in the Tardis had healed him and his only regret was that perhaps he was too late – not too late to save the world, but certainly too late to save his friendship and more that might have been with Tina, because on the way back he he had realised his error – he had taken the Tardis forward too far, twenty seven years, to be exact...

But even as he had tried to change course, the Tardis had refused to allow him that choice. It was then it dawned on him that he had been right about Missy – she had left something here, and it took twenty-seven years to mature, at which time the creature would be open to suggestion from Missy, the captor who it now saw as its owner, and all she had to do was tell it to destroy earth and...

 _He couldn't think about that consequence._

 _To think of the earth being ripped apart by a shape shifting alien creature that didn't know right from wrong was too much to bear._

 _Would Missy really go that far?_

 _Perhaps she had other plans, maybe the creature was a bargaining chip and she had other ideas. If she did, he was sure he figured in them some how..._

 _Either way, the Tardis had been determined he stay on this course._

The Doctor walked towards the house. He opened the gate and went up the path, thinking how little had changed since he had last been here. Almost thirty earth years later and the house looked the same, the garden still well kept and in the full bloom of summer.

As he reached the porch he stood there for a moment, looking about him again:

There was a gleaming silver car in the drive way and the garage door was open. In the garage was another car, small, red and sporty. He stepped back and glanced up at the house again, recalling that day back in the late '80s when he had turned up after crashing his Tardis. That day it had been raining but today there was not a sign of rain nor the hint of thunder in the distance to herald the coming of a summer storm. The brick work looked a little more weathered and the curtains that had once been frothy net were now sheer and elegant. The door had been painted blue – same shade as his Tardis, and that made him smile as he wondered how often she thought of the day he had stumbled into her life.

Then his smile faded as she considered the years that had flown by – for him it had been a matter of days but for Tina, almost three decades.

 _Maybe that was too much to forgive..._

His twin hearts felt heavy as he knocked on the door and the brass knocker gleamed in the morning sunlight.

* * *

The Doctor waited.

Five minutes passed, then he knocked again.

The door opened.

"Yes?" she said.

He looked at her, and as the memories hit him sharply, he felt washed through with fondness and his eyes misted with tears at the sight of the woman in the doorway, who strangely looked much as he remembered her – she was wearing jeans and a light T shirt and her honey coloured hair fell to her shoulders.

"It's so good to see you again!" he said warmly,"I'm sorry I was late – my mistake...or maybe it wasn't...maybe I was meant to return now, because there's something you need to be aware of -"

" _Who are you?"_

"It's me, the Doctor..."

He blinked, and that mist in his eyes brought about by emotion cleared. Then he blinked again, staring at the young woman in the doorway with black eyeliner and a gold nose ring who looked to be around twenty-five.

"You're not Tina?"

She shook her head, and as she looked intently at him, her face paled.

"I'm Lucinda...I'm her daughter...Oh my god...it really _is_ you!"

She turned back from the doorway sharply.

" _Mum!"_ she yelled, _"Get out here, he's back!"_

The Doctor stayed on the doorstep as Lucinda heard a reply from somewhere in the house, and then she ran down the hallway and he heard a quick exchange of words, but spoken low, and then as he heard footsteps approaching the front door, he looked up from the polished floor where she walked in stiletto shoes that clicked on the wooden boards, her legs were toned and her hips shapely and the black dress she wore was thin and the hem of it skimmed her lower thighs. The plunging neckline of the dress reminded him of all he had missed out on these past three decades, and then she was in front of him at the door, her fair hair falling in perfect, salon cultivated waves to her shoulders as she paused to run a manicured hand through her hair and the sunlight caught on a slender, platinum bracelet.

Her face wasn't in the flush of youth any more but her skin looked great and her make up had changed, it was light but expensive like her perfume and her eyes were smoky and dark and her sheer lipstick shone. There was barely a line on her face although her figure was slightly heavier now. She was a beautiful woman but yes, that look was in her eyes now – it always would be, because after he had left, she had shot dead the man who attacked her and stole the diamonds from him, the spoils of a robbery. But fate had brought her back here as he knew it would, and now she felt tied to this place for ever more. She had the mansion and the money. And she knew there was no fairytale ending.

"I left you less than a week ago," he began, "And I was sore and tired and I made a mistake with my calculations – I didn't mean to be this late -"

The slap to his face knocked him sideways and where he was sure most people would be seeing stars at a moment like that, as she hit him, he just briefly saw Clara flash to mind, because that slap had stung like hell.

"Bastard!" she said bitterly, "I waited for you! And you never came back! Not for twenty seven years, you just _abandoned_ me!"

Her eyes were blazing with hurt and anger, and he knew he had to get past that if he was going to salvage their friendship and save the world from a potential threat that she was yet to understand.

"Please let me explain, this is important," he began, looking at her pleadingly as he paused to rub his stinging cheek.

Fury burned in her eyes.

" _You've got five minutes,"_ she said bitterly, _"And this had better be good!"_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

" _Please let me explain!"_

As the Doctor stood in the front room by the fireplace, feeling glad she had at least invited him in after that frosty welcome, Tina stood there, arms folded as she glared at him and her daughter looked on.

"Wow," said Lucinda, "It's really him, the man in the picture you showed me! He hasn't aged!"

"And I'm not in the mood for more selfies!" he said, shooting a look to Tina.

She turned her head and glanced at her daughter.

"Me and the Doctor need some time alone to discuss...stuff. Can you leave us for a while?"

Her daughter smiled.

"Oh, I see...the romance is back on, is it?"

"Hardly!" Tina snapped, but her daughter was still smiling.

"I'll leave you guys alone for a while.. you need to um... _catch up_..."

* * *

Lucinda left the room, and the Doctor walked over to a wide window that looked out on to the garden, and Tina joined him as the breeze shifted in warm and sweet carrying with it the scent of the roses and the colourful flowerbeds.

" _Twenty seven years, Doctor!"_

"And I can only apologise for that but Tina, I turned the dial too far in error and the Tardis would not let me change course – which means it was never up to me. There's something in your house and its about to grow to maturity and Missy left it here, waiting for this moment to come. I think that's why the Tardis forced me to return now, when I had to be here to stop her plans."

At the mention of Missy, her eyes clouded with confusion.

"Well she was okay to me! In fact...back then, when I was young and drunk and irresponsible, its safe to say all she did was have tea while I got drunk - and then she did the same thing to me that you did. I was wild back then. It was an experience."

He turned sharply from the window and stared at her.

"You and Missy -"

"It was a one off. A crazy night."

"And I know what happened afterwards. I know what happened when Franklin came back. That was a fixed point in time. You were always meant to shoot him and take the diamonds."

All anger faded from her eyes as she took in his words spoken in a hushed voice.

"You...you _know_ I killed him?"

"I couldn't have stopped it. Some things are not meant to be tampered with. And I know afterwards, when you used your late father's contacts to sell the diamonds for you, even when that was over and the money was in the bank, you couldn't keep away from this house. You felt a pull to return here that you couldn't understand. Like you _had_ to return."

She unfolded her arms and gave a slight shiver.

" _He's still here."_

The Doctor looked puzzled.

"Who is?"

"Franklin. His ghost. I feel it around me, like I have to be here because I killed him and he wants to remind me of that. It's like I'm never by myself in here – I can feel it all the time, like there's something dark and deep sunk into the floorboards, like his ghost is under the house and -"

" _There are no ghosts, Tina."_

Her eyes widened.

"Well I can feel it and it's horrible! It's like I have to put up with it, because of what I did."

"That's your sense of guilt talking. Pay no attention to it, he was a violent man who tried to commit a violent act and would have killed you had you not fought back. Fixed point in time,Tina. He's dead and was always meant to die by that gunshot on that night. _You don't have a ghost in your house. It's an alien life form._ "

She shook her head.

"No, I feel it, Doctor! I know its a ghost, it's the man I killed!"

"It's a very intelligent but young shape shifting creature that's far from home and left here by Missy until it reached maturity. She's planing to use it to destroy the world. The creature doesn't know right from wrong, it's lost and needs returning to its home far from here. Missy had its habitat – a small crystal. Do you know anything about that?"

She shook her head, and he saw uncertainly in her eyes.

"Oh come on, Tina! The world could be at risk! There are no ghosts here - it's alien. I bet your daughter has never sensed the presence like you do."

"How did you know that?" she asked.

"Because she was born here, to her its just the natural feel of the house. But you with your baggage and guilt over the past keeps telling you its a ghost. There are no ghosts! You did a public service the night you saved your own life, and you rid the world of a violent scum bag well done for that! And I know its not an easy thing to live with, knowing you killed a man – I killed many in the Time War!"

"What was the Time War?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"A closed subject now," he replied, and then he stepped closer to her and looked into her eyes.

"I was prevented from returning until now because I had to be here at this point in time – I have to stop Missy. _Was she better than me_?"

His question has surprised her.

"What? You mean...No, it was just different...I was wild in those days and -"

"So I was better than her?"

Tina gave a weary sigh.

"It was almost thirty years ago!"

"What did she say to you?"

Tina hesitated.

"It was a long time ago. But I do remember she said you lied about waiting for me."

The Doctor silently cursed Missy with every known foul word both human and Gallifreyan as he thought of how this looked to Tina.

"I swear to you, she's a dangerous and very old enemy of mine! She didn't know the Tardis prevented me returning, she was just trying to stop you trusting me! I've known her in many guises over many lifetimes and she has never had anything but bad intentions for this planet! She's evil!"

She looked into his eyes, and all those years ago seemed like yesterday as she got that feeling again, the one that told her this man was old as time itself, and along with that memory came the rush of love she had felt for him so long ago.

"She gave me a crystal," she admitted, "A small, boring looking piece of rock and asked me to look after it until she returned."

He drew his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and activated it, as the long tip glowed blue he listened carefully as it scanned the area.

"And the creature is definitely here," the Doctor replied, "I was right – it's under the house. There are no ghosts, Tina – just a creature far from home that needs to be returned before it gets used as a weapon!"

Now Tina believed him.

"I'll fetch it," she said, and hurried from the room. As she left the Doctor breathed a heavy sigh and it was not from relief that she finally believed him – there was a very obvious threat present beneath this house, and even if he was able to remove that threat, the Doctor had no clue if Tina would ever forgive him for being twenty seven years late...

* * *

When she returned to the room, she carried a very old jewellery box, it was small and covered in silk and she sat down on the sofa and the Doctor sat beside her, and she opened it up and took out two old, faded polaroid pictures, one of her, the other of the two of them on the day he had protested he didn't want his photo taken. Then she reached beneath the pictures and drew out the crystal and handed it to him.

"You are doing the right thing," he promised her, "Please tell me you believe that now."

Their eyes met.

"I waited so long for you!" she said, and the hurt he heard in her voice pained his twin hearts.

"And the wait is now over," he vowed, "I still have my time machine and there is no reason why I can't take you with me after the business with the creature is cleared up."

He cautiously reached for her hand, and then grasped it gently.

"I'm sorry I made you wait so long."

" _Oh yeah, Mum waited!"_ exclaimed Lucinda as she came back into the room, _"But she was rich by then. She married a rock star - my Dad – who ran off with his best friend who I used to call Uncle Bill . That's right, he was gay and Mum didn't know it. Then she met this other guy who wanted to spend her money on drugs so he was gone in a couple of years...then she married again and he hit her so I hit him and threw his arse out the door. So in all the time she's waited for you, she hasn't been very happy. It would be really great if you could keep your promise this time and bring some happiness her way. She deserves it."_

The Doctor looked to Tina, who cringed at her daughter's blunt honesty, and then he smiled.

"I _will_ keep my promise," he said, "I mean it, Tina. There's nothing to stop us now."

"And on that note of the promise of a happy ending I'm off out for a while. Have fun catching up." Lucinda smiled at them both, and then she left the room.

After Lucinda's red sports car had left the drive way, the Doctor got up from the sofa and so did Tina.

"I'm sorry about the way I reacted when I first saw you," Tina began, "but after all these years -"

"No need to apologise," he replied, "What matters is, this is sorted out now. And speaking of sorting things out...I have a creature to rehouse. Would you like to watch?"

She looked uncertain.

"Is it dangerous?"

The Doctor held up the crystal and smiled.

"Not in my hands," he promised her.

* * *

Tina went with the Doctor, walking with him on a familiar path she had not taken for many years, through the clearing in the woods to where his Tardis once more stood. This time when he opened the door, she followed him inside, and she was still looking around the vast console room with a look of wonder in her eyes as he set the crystal down on the console. As it began to glow she turned her head and watched in fascination.

"What are you doing?"

"Charging it," he replied, "This crystal is a bit like the Tardis – bigger on the inside, big enough for the creature to want to slip back inside."

The glow became bright, and he lifted it from the console and turned back to Tina.

"Shall we go and call out the alien?" he asked.

"If you say so," she replied, still sounding unsure.

The Doctor stepped closer to her, still holding the glowing crystal that bathed them both in a lilac light.

"Don't be afraid," he said softly, "Never be afraid again, I'm back now and I'm not leaving you again."

Then he leant closer and their lips touched, it was a kiss both wanted to linger, but as the glow became brighter the Doctor pulled back once more.

"Later," he promised her, "This can't wait. We have to get to that creature before Missy does."

* * *

As they stood together at the back of the garden, Tina stood beside the Doctor and watched as he held out the crystal and its light grew even stronger.

"Is it horrible?" she whispered.

"The creature? No, it might look a bit transparent and move like what you would call a ghost, but it's a living thing, and it needs guidance. I have to put it back in its shell and return it to its home planet. There are no ghosts, just remember that, Tina. No ghosts – just a lost and lonely shape shifting creature that needs to go home."

And then as the light grew and slipped ghostly towards the house, the ground began to shake, and then a crack appeared in the earth. Tina gave a gasp as the creature emerged, its face was pale and transparent with dark wide eyes like a seal, and the long body slipped out gracefully as it homed in on the light and followed it, floating gracefully towards the crystal.

As its face illuminated in the beam its large eyes regarded them both thoughtfully, and then it was swallowed by the light that pulled it in, shrinking it, drawing it inside the crystal, that continued to glow, and then the glow faded out, just as the crack in the earth sealed itself shut leaving behind no trace of what had happened.

The Doctor put the crystal in his pocket and looked to Tina and smiled.

"It wasn't horrible at all," he remarked.

She blinked away tears.

"It was beautiful!" she exclaimed, "And it looked at me!"

"And when I return it to its home planet I'm sure it will entertain its friends with tales of seeing the strange human and Time Lord who guided it back home," he replied, and then he turned and walked away back towards his Tardis.

"Wait for me!" Tina called out, and she hurried after the Doctor.

They reached the Tardis at the same time, and the Doctor hesitated as he looked back at her.

"I have to manoeuvre my Tardis though a difficult asteroid belt to get this creature back home. It's best if I take this journey alone. It won't take long – I'll be back soon. This time, you can wait for me – and I won't let you down."

Disappointment was reflecting in her eyes, but she nodded.

"I get it. You don't want to put me at any kind of risk."

He thought of Clara.

"I have no intention of ever putting anyone I care about at risk again," he told her, "But I will return for you. Now I really need to get this creature home, it needs to be reunited with its own kind."

" _I do believe that's mine."_

They both turned to see Missy standing nearby, and malice glittered pale in her eyes as she glared at the Doctor.

"Trust you to show up and spoil the party!" she said bitterly, and then she looked to Tina.

"And you've aged well my dear. Did you tell him about our lovely encounter? About how I made you scream after he left you needing more?"

Tina rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, that was years ago! And you're wrong about the Doctor – it's _you_ I can't trust! I saw that creature, it was beautiful – and innocent! You want to corrupt it!"

Missy gave a sigh and stepped closer.

"I don't have time to talk about the past," her gaze shifted coldly to the Doctor, as she held out a device in her hand and aimed it at Tina.

"Give me the crystal and the creature inside it or I'll reduce her to dust."

Tina stared in horror at the sight of the weapon Missy had trained on her, and Missy laughed.

"Time to say bye bye...but first, say something nice..."

Tina grabbed at the first thought that came to mind.

"You're...good with your tongue?"

And behind Tina's back, as Missy smirked and looked away as she savoured the compliment, the Doctor smiled too as he drew out his screwdriver, hit the power button and aimed for Missy's weapon. As sparks flew and the device fell to the ground red hot and smoking and stinking of melted wiring, Missy gave a gasp.

The Doctor took out the crystal and showed it to her, holding it out as he fixed her with a cold stare that assured her he had no intention of taking prisoners.

"I always try to do no harm, but for you I'd make an exception every time," he said darkly, "I have no problem telling this being to come out of its shell and destroy your life and all your remaining regenerations."

Real fear shone in Missy's eyes.

"You...you wouldn't!"

"Try me," the Doctor invited.

Missy's face paled.

"Run," the Doctor said coldly, "Because next time I see you, it's the end of you, I swear."

"You don't mean that!" she said desperately.

The crystal started to glow.

The Doctor glanced down at it and back to Missy.

"I _think_ he's hungry..."

Missy turned and ran, bolting through the woods.

* * *

The Doctor watched as the glow became a regular pulse, then he slipped the crystal back in his pocket.

"Is it really hungry?" Tina asked cautiously.

He shot her a knowing look.

"Of course not, its just getting cosy inside its shell! Now I must be off – I have to take the creature home. I'll be back soon. Wait for me."

And he sealed the promise with a kiss, then stepped into the Tardis and the doors closed. Tina watched as the blue box faded in and out of sight, and then it was gone,but this time she was smiling, because she knew he would return.

 _But she didn't know that once again time had played a part in altering their planned reunion – after returning the creature to its home planet, the Doctor would be caught in time's grip as the Tardis led him back to a final reunion with River Song, a reunion that would see them spend many years together before the long night was over – and then he would be dragged into yet more adventures._

 _The Doctor was returning to Tina, but not as he had planned. When he did eventually return, to Tina, a matter of days would have passed thanks to his time machine - but to the Doctor, it would be more than one lifetime and several thousand years later._

 _Tina's wait was not quite over, and the man who would return would not wear the face of the Twelfth Doctor..._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The days had passed, and Tina had waited.

 _And waited some more, and there had been no sign of the Doctor._

The space where the Tardis had once stood half hidden in the woodland near the house remained empty, and no sound of the time machine landing filled the air, the only sound that could be heard now was the wind stirring leaves of heavy boughs on trees where branches had once shook and leaves had been torn off and whipped about as the blue box had once landed. Now that place stood empty, and every day Tina looked out to that spot, and saw it was still empty.

"Mum, are you okay?" Lucinda asked as she entered the room and saw her mother standing by the window, the curtain was pulled aside and she was standing there looking out, down to that place where the blue box had once stood, it was something she had done every single day since the Doctor's departure.

"He said he was coming back," she said, and she turned her head as sadness reflected in her eyes.

"Did he lie to me again, do you think he lied?"

"No," Lucinda replied, "I think maybe he was held up. Look what happened last time – it looks like his travels can be dangerous. That's why he asked you to wait here. He must love you a lot to want to keep you safe."

"I hope he does," Tina replied quietly, and then she looked back to the empty spot beneath the trees as she thought back to a time long ago when she had been nineteen years old and spellbound by the Time Lord who she had lay beside as she took that polaroid picture...

* * *

 **Far off in time and space:**

 _Time had passed for the Doctor._

He had gone on through many adventures, and regenerated twice since his Twelfth life, and now, after running into yet more trouble and being held prisoner by an enemy cyber fleet ship and surviving torture that had seen him regenerate into his Fourteenth life, the Doctor didn't bother watching the Tardis monitor as the Cyber fleet ship exploded in a ball of blinding light, instead he leant against the console for a moment, then he walked out of the room, down the corridor and opened up a door and went into his bedroom, where the lights were dim because the Tardis understood regeneration had been painful, and always would be, no matter how many times he went through it.

The Doctor thought of the many faces he had worn, and wondered what this one was like. He ached all over and his vision was slightly blurred as he opened up an old wardrobe of carved ebony wood, and looked into the mirror on the inside of the door:

Dark eyes looked back at him, and he reached up and ran his fingers through hair that hadn't been _this_ perfect since his tenth regeneration. Then he blinked, and his vision cleared.

"Not bad at all..." he said quietly, "I like it, I actually like it this time..."

Then he ran a hand over the clothing that hung in the wardrobe, replaced by the Tardis, meant for his new regeneration, and took out a change of clothing, reflecting that he hadn't worn so much black since his Twelfth life...

A short while later, wearing a white shirt and a patterned tie and a leather jacket and dark jeans, the Doctor was back in the console room. He looked about the place, noticing the control room was smaller but the ceiling was higher, and the shade of light that filtered through the place was neon blue.

"You redecorated for me,"he said aloud, "Thank you, old girl."

Then he reached out to touch the controls, and his fingertips brushed an old, faded note that had been stuck to the console for so long he had forgotten to ever pay it any attention.

He took the note from the console and read it:

"Open the panel?" he wondered aloud, and then he looked to the console where the note had been placed, and saw the panel it had been concealing. He struggled to recall why he had ever placed the note there, but it was all hazy, and not just because he had recently regenerated:  
 _It had been two thousand years since he had written that reminder to himself..._

He pressed a button and the panel opened up, and he took out a polaroid picture. It was preserved perfectly and looked as new as the day he had placed it there...back in his Twelfth life.

"Tina!" he said in surprise, "It's been two thousand years!"

And then he looked to the controls, and back to the picture.

"I don't know...timeline..." he muttered, looking again to the picture, "I'm sorry I forgot...Oh, what am I saying, that was in the past...I can't just go back, I can't, not after all this time..."

And he turned to the control panel and placed the picture on it, then leant heavily on the console as he thought about time and how it had ripped him away from a promise.

"I've regenerated," he said as he looked at the girl in the polaroid picture, "I'm _nothing_ like my Twelfth life. Nothing like him at all. You probably wouldn't fancy me now anyway...I'm _not_ him. Well, I _am_ , but I look so different to him... you wouldn't know me and if I went back for you...maybe I shouldn't even think about it, not now, not two lifetimes later..."

And he turned his dark gaze to the controls.

Then he looked again to the girl in the picture.

Suddenly the Doctor was smiling as enthusiasm shone in his eyes.

" _Why not?"_ he said excitedly _, "I'm coming to find you, Tina!"_

He grabbed a lever and pushed it, then ran around the console and turned some dials – this time taking care to make sure he ended up _exactly_ where he had promised he would be, back on earth, at the house in 2016, just over two weeks after he had last said goodbye to her two lifetimes ago...

* * *

 **Earth, 2016:**

Lucinda had just started up the car and was about to take a drive into town when she thought she heard a strange sound, like a wheeze and a groan and rushing wind. She turned off the engine, sat there with the window open as the late summer breeze shifted through the car and then she shook her head, dismissing the sound, and started up the car again and drove away from the house.

Tina had been in the front room and as she crossed it and headed for the open doors that led to the garden, she had missed the sound of the landing Tardis as her daughter's car had started up. Her thoughts were on the Doctor as she went out to the patio and sat down at the table and watched as ice cubes began to melt in a tall glass of lemonade, she thought about time and how she had spent so much of it waiting, and decided maybe she would always be waiting for him, because who could forget an encounter with a man from another world, a time travelling man who was unlike any other man she could ever hope to meet on earth?

 _He had promised he would return._

 _But he had said that before..._

She gave a sigh.

"Don't make me wait another thirty years," she whispered, and then she looked to the blue skies and thought of space beyond it, and wondered where he was, and _when_ he was – she was sure he was a million miles and perhaps as many years away. Maybe he would _never_ return...

The Doctor had left the Tardis and opened the gate and hurried up the path towards the house. He glanced over at the garage, saw one car was there but remembered there had been two – he was sure the other car was red, and that one was Lucinda's. That car was missing.

"Where are you?" he said, looking left and right but seeing no sign of Tina.

Then he looked to the front door, and remembered long ago - to him, two thousand years before in another lifetime - when she had met him at the door and angrily slapped him for making her wait twenty seven years...

To a Time Lord less than thirty years was no time at all, but to a human? Yes, he understood her anger on that day. It seemed so long ago to the time traveller, but to Tina, only two weeks had passed. The Doctor headed for the gate that led to the garden at the back of the house, and as he passed a window he glanced at his new reflection and guessed she wouldn't even recognise him in this new regeneration, at least, not at first...

Tina was sitting at the table on the patio. She was looking to the back of the garden and didn't see him approach her. He stopped for a moment and stood there and looked at her, she was still shapely and the short, light summer dress she wore showed off a tan he wished she didn't have because the human need to worship the sun was a dangerous past time in summer, but her skin was glowing with it and her hair fell past her shoulders in soft waves, she was still as beautiful as the girl he recalled meeting for the first time back in the '80s when he had been in his Twelfth lifetime.

"Excuse me, Tina?" he said, and she looked around.

"Yes? Oh, sorry, you're a friend of Lucinda's? She just left, she went into town."

" _No."_

He smiled and took a step closer as she got up from the table and looked to him in confusion.

"I don't understand," she told him, "If you're not here for Lucinda, who are you?"

He was standing in front of her now. His dark gaze fixed on her and as she looked at him she got the oddest feeling, as if he was as old as time itself...

"Who are you?" she said again.

"It's me, the Doctor," he replied, "It's a long story, very long...after I left you – to you that was two weeks ago – things happened. Time can have a way of dragging me from place to place and into situations...basically, I meant to come back but then I regenerated and my life went on and I forgot much of the past for a while. Then I regenerated again, after I escaped the Cybermen - I was captured by a war ship that had fallen through a rip in time and I was held prisoner for quite a while. _It took me three hundred years to escape and destroy their ship._ "

She stared at him.

"Three _hundred_ years?"

"Actually it's been two _thousand_ years in total but it's complicated," he replied, "But after I regenerated, I found a note I'd left for myself centuries before – reminding me to come back for you, no matter what. So in the end I did, and here I am. I know I've changed. I'm not him, I'm not the man with the grey hair and the ice blue eyes but I _am_ still the Doctor. And I came back through time to keep my promise to you."

Tina looked at him as she blinked back tears.

"But the man I fell in love with - the one I first met – are you telling me he's dead?"

"Not exactly," he replied, "time travel is complicated. There are many versions of me out there somewhere in another time and place but in this timeline, he regenerated and became someone else. Then he regenerated again, and here I am. I'm still the Doctor. And I'm sorry I made you wait the first time around. That's why I came back through time to find you again. If you want to come with me, the offer still stands."

And he waited. Tina looked back at him and blinked away tears, then she shook her head.

"You can't be him – you look nothing like the man I knew!"

"I am!" he insisted, "I can show you my Tardis -"

"I have an old polariod picture," she said as her voice cracked with emotion, "Of a man who I knew as the Doctor. And he's _not_ you!"

The Doctor's hearts felt heavy as he wished he didn't have to have this conversation – change was something humans always found so hard to accept when it came to regeneration, and this was not the first time he had gone through a conversation like this one with a human he cared for...

"Look at me!" he said to her, and he looked into her eyes and as she got that familiar feeling that he was older than time, she shook her head.

"You're not even Scottish!" she said, "He was. And he was older. And I _loved_ him!"

Then she turned away sharply and hurried back inside the house.

"Tina, wait!" the Doctor called, and he hurried after her.

* * *

She crossed through the room and out into the hallway, and the Doctor caught up with her.

"Wait – listen to me – two things, just two..."

She looked into his eyes, and felt the truth was there, that this man was the Doctor, but her thoughts still lie with the man she had first met - the one who she had waited for.

"Make it quick," she snapped, "Because I wasn't planning for this to happen. I _miss_ him!"

The room briefly shifted sideways as his vision blurred and he leant against the wall and started to explain:

"Firstly," he said, sounding breathless, "I shouldn't have run after you just now -"

"Too right you shouldn't," she exclaimed,"I was walking away, do you have any idea what kind of a shock you've given me by changing like this?"

"...And secondly..." he said weakly, "I've had no rest since it happened. I need rest, its post regenerative exhaustion."

Then he slid to the floor in a dead faint.

* * *

It was late afternoon when Lucinda parked the car in the garage and went back inside the house. She took some bags upstairs, went into her bedroom and put away her new clothes and then left the room, and as she headed for the stairs she stopped, noticing her mother's bedroom door was open. When she looked inside she stared in surprise at the sight of her mother sitting on the edge of her bed, looking down at the man who was in her bed...

"There's a man in your bed!" she said in surprise

Tina turned her head.

"Yes, and he's sleeping. He needs to rest," she replied in a hushed voice.

Lucinda entered the room quietly and looked down at the man who was in her mother's bed. She looked at his sleeping face, watched as his chest rose and fell, and then she smiled.

"He's good looking."

"Yes I know."

"So what happened, he just turned up and asked for a bed?"

"Sort of," Tina replied.

Lucinda looked to a nearby chair where clothing was draped over it.

"He wasn't too exhausted to get undressed, then."

"I took his shoes off and his jacket and his tie," Tina replied, "Then I thought I'd better take his shirt off.. just to...um...make him _comfortable_."

Her daughter laughed softly.

"More like you wanted to take a closer look."

Tina shot her a glance and seeing her mother's face flush made her giggle.

"Admit it, Mum! You got his shirt off to get a better look!"

Tina briefly smiled and then resisted the urge to agree.

"He's okay, he just needs to rest," then her smile faded, "It's him, Lucinda. It's the Doctor. He's regenerated. He said he's been gone for two thousand years and lived two lifetimes since he last saw me. He used the Tardis to travel back to keep the promise he made in his Twelfth life. He meant to come back sooner but things happened, he got caught up in some trouble. But he's back now, and he's still the Doctor...He doesn't look like the man I knew, but it's still him."

And she reached out and swept her hand over his hair as he continued to sleep.

"I've been watching him sleep," she said, "And the more I look at him, the more I feel it – I _know_ he's the same man."

"And he's good looking," added her daughter.

"Yes, I've noticed that too," Tina replied, and now she was smiling again, "I couldn't miss that, could I?"

Then as she touched his cheek and the Doctor gave no response, a look of worry clouded her eyes and she looked to her daughter again.

"He's sleeping really deeply. I can't wake him. I know he said he was exhausted but I'm getting worried... what if this regeneration thing can go wrong? What if -"

"Don't, Mum," her daughter said as she stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Don't think the worst. You said he's done this many times, changed his face and body. It can't be easy on him. He probably just needs a rest. I bet he'll be fine in the morning."

She nodded, desperately clinging to her daughters words because she needed her to be right.

"I hope so," she said as she looked back at the sleeping Time Lord, "He's waited a long time to come back here, he took lifetimes to find me again. I'm scared something went wrong when he regenerated. What if he's come back here to die? He has to be okay, because I don't think I can handle it if he's not. I really don't think I can take losing him after everything that's happened."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was growing dark as evening shadows fell and the heat of the sun faded out as nightfall beckoned. The Doctor had slept all day. Eventually, Tina had left his side whispering that she would be back soon, and the fact that he had stirred in his sleep and _seemed_ to have heard her was all the reassurance she needed that he would be okay to be left alone for a short while.

She saw the door to the attic was open and she went up the narrow stairway to find the light on and her daughter sorting through an old box that had been packed away many years before.

"What are you doing?" she said, "Lucinda, that's my old stuff – yours is over the other side of the room, by the window?"

Her daughter got up, brushed dust from her jeans and looked at her apologetically.

"I know that, but I just wanted to see if I could find anything that you might want to take with you."

"With me?"

She smiled.

"I'm an adult, I can run this house while you're gone. You _know_ you want to go with him when he leaves."

Tina gave a heavy sigh.

"Right now I don't know what I want,"she admitted, "So much has changed – he's changed! And as for leaving with him, I don't even know if he's going to be well enough to leave! He's still sleeping and I can't wake him up!"

Her daughter thought about it.

"Well, he is alien – and regeneration isn't dangerous, right? It sounds more like a natural thing that happens instead of dying. So if he has to change when his old body wears out or something bad happens to it, if he has to literally change into a new person each time that happens, I'd say he would need a lot of rest to get over it. Maybe it's part of regeneration. He said he came back here to keep a promise – to take you with him! He's not dying, he's just resting, he's getting over the regeneration. Think about it, Mum – he didn't even rest after it happened. He just remembered you and came here to find you."

"I hope you're right," Tina said, and she hugged her daughter tightly. Then she let go and looked down at the contents of the box that had been unpacked.

"I haven't seen this stuff for years!" she exclaimed. Then she loaded the clothing and accessories back in the box and picked it up.

"What are you doing with all that?" her daughter asked.

Tina smiled.

"Just remembering," she said as she headed for the stairs.

"Maybe if you remember enough you'll be happy again," Lucinda replied.

Tina looked back at her daughter, and now her eyes were shining with the kind of enthusiasm for life that had been missing for many years.

"Maybe I will," she replied.

* * *

By ten o'clock that night, the contents of the box were all laid out on the bed in a spare room:

Clothing from her youth, jewellery, stuff she hadn't laid eyes on since she was nineteen – and most of it still fitted her. But then Tina had left it there and gone back to her own room, needing to be close to the Doctor, wanting to be there when he finally woke up.

She found him still sleeping, and even though she turned on the lamp next to the bed, he continued to sleep.

"I'm sorry about how I spoke to you before," she said softly, "Of _course_ I know you're him. And I'm going to look after you until you're well enough to leave. I won't let you down."

And she leant over him, placed her hand on his shoulder, paused to watch him sleeping, and then kissed his cheek, but this time the Doctor did not stir.

Then she looked fondly at the picture in her hand:

A picture she had kept for almost thirty years, her smiling into the camera as she lay beside a rather tense looking Twelfth Doctor who had insisted on just the one picture. She placed the photo on the bedside table so the Doctor would see it when he woke up, and then she looked back to the man who was resting in her bed, and she ran her hand over his dark hair.

"I _know_ you're him,"she said softly, "I felt it as soon as I looked into your eyes."

Then the door opened and she looked around to see Lucinda had entered the room. Her daughter glanced to the Doctor and then spoke quietly to her mother.

"I got this in town today. Thought you might like it for old times sake. Maybe it was good timing."

And she handed her a polaroid camera. It wasn't the bigger, heavier kind that Tina recalled from her youth, but she accepted it and laughed.

"I didn't even know they still made them!"

"They obviously do," Lucinda replied, "Most people use digital now but these cameras are still about! I put a cartridge in it, but remember you only get ten shots – they don't go far."

"They never did," she replied fondly as she placed the camera next to the bed.

"I'll say goodnight now," Lucinda added, "I'll leave you to look after him. I hope he's okay in the morning."

"So do I," Tina said, and then her daughter left the room and closed the door softly behind her.

* * *

Just as the door closed, the Doctor gave a sigh and then he turned from his side on to his back and partly pushed down the covers. As he opened his eyes and looked up and met her gaze, he smiled.

"Hello Tina," he said warmly, "Thanks looking after me..." he sat up, looked down and realised his shirt was missing, then he caught the flush to her face.

"And thanks for partly _undressing_ me."

"I just wanted to make you more comfortable -"

"Of _course_ you did."

He put his arm around her and pulled her down on to the bed and then smiled as his dark eyes sparkled playfully.

"Yes, I am feeling much better. as you can see my strength has returned – oh, I remember that!" His gaze had shifted to the picture next to the bed, of his Twelfth life, on the day when she had smiled for the camera and he had reluctantly let her take one picture. Then he grabbed the polaroid camera and held it out as he shifted closer to her.

"My turn to take a selfie," he added.

"Okay...just the one..."Tina replied, and he pressed the button as he smiled and she lay beside him looking rather tense. As the picture slid out he gave it a shake to hurry the developing and set the picture and the camera back on the table, then he turned on his side and put his arm around her.

"It's the other way around now. Back then I didn't want my picture taken, now it's you saying it. Time changes us all Tina, but we are essentially the same people, just more well travelled than when we first met."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so," he promised, "And I've missed you. And I'm definitely a hugger. _You can kiss me if you want to._ "

He had taken hold of her hand, and as she looked at him, she felt confused.

"If I _want_ to? What does that mean, you're a hugger and you want to kiss me but its up to me, so like, you're not really bothered if I do or not?"

He laughed, and he smiled and his dark eyes shone with amusement as he shook his head.

"No! I mean, I'm here if you want me. I should have been here long ago, two lifetimes back...two thousand years later I'm here, I came back for you. So you can kiss me if you want to."

He let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"I've missed you," he whispered, and Tina embraced him, welcoming his kiss as she ran her fingers through his hair and felt the warmth of his touch as his hands slid over her clothing and every nerve in her body seemed more alive than she had known for many years – it was as if that night so long ago had come back to life, and she was back there with the same man, even though he now wore a different face.

She was breathless as he broke off from their kiss and took her hand and placed it on his chest, where she felt the pounding of twin hearts, and then he slid it lower, all the way down to his belt.

"I do believe there's a favour to return?" he said playfully, and she smiled and replied with a kiss, then she slid under the covers and unbuckled his belt and tugged down his zip. As the Doctor gave a soft gasp and his fingers tangled in her hair, he closed his eyes, feeling thankful he was fully recovered from the regeneration, because the feel of her down on him was good, and he knew if he had not been recovered, something as simple as enjoying oral sex would have meant at least two more days resting, because climax at a time like that could have wiped out his energy.

But thankfully he was fully recovered, and able to enjoy every minute of the pleasure she gave him. When he lost control and pleasure washed through his body, he sank back against the softness of the pillow, reaching for her as she came up from under the covers.

"Let me hold you," he said, wrapping his arms around her, "I want to hold you all night. _I'm leaving in the morning_."

As he said those words she raised her head from his shoulder and looked at him, but tiredness had got the better of him, and he was already sliding into a deep and relaxing sleep. She lay beside him with her head on his shoulder and her hand on the centre of his chest as she felt the beating of his twin hearts, and thought about tomorrow, and wondered if leaving with the Doctor would be such a good idea after all these years. He hadn't even mentioned her when he had said that, just that he was leaving...

* * *

When Morning came, Tina was up early.

The Doctor slept in until just gone eleven and by then Tina had already told her daughter it didn't seem likely she would be leaving with him.

"Why not?" Lucinda had asked her over breakfast.

Tina had cradled her coffee in her hands and paused for thought and then shook her head.

"Maybe it's too late,"she replied, "I mean, it's been almost thirty years. And he said _he_ was leaving, not _we_..."

* * *

The Doctor was up and dressed and out in the hallway when Tina joined him.

"I'm just going back to the Tardis to make some checks...she's redecorated and the console has changed... I need to be sure I'm completely familiar with it all before I go. Do you still want to come with me?"

She looked into his dark eyes.

"I'm not nineteen any more, I've changed...and so have you... I don't know. Just go and do what you have to do, I'll have a think about it."

"This time I'm waiting,"he assured her, "If you want to come with me, I won't leave without you."

Then he turned away and left by the front door, taking a slow walk towards the place where the Tardis was shaded by trees as he silently hoped she would decide to join him.

* * *

Tina went back upstairs and into the bedroom, where she stood and looked at the two polaroid pictures next to the bed. There she saw an old faded photo, a teenage girl and a rather tense looking older Time Lord who hadn't wanted his picture taken. Beside it was a brand new photo of a handsome man who smiled for the camera while she looked older and tense as the flash went off.

Then she stepped closer, looked at the two pictures again, and pushed them together, side by side.

"What are you going to do, Mum?" she heard her daughter say.

Tina's gaze was still on the two pictures, one faded, the other brand new, placed side by side as she studied them again, then she turned her head and looked at her daughter.

" _We're both the same people,"_ she said to her as she started to smile, _"Just more well travelled than we used to be. He's still the Doctor...and I'm still her, I'm still that girl who dreamed of the stars and the man in his blue box."_

Then she turned around and as she looked into her daughter's eyes, that sparkle was back, that look that had been long absent.

"I can't regenerate like him," Tina said, "But I can still be her. I haven't forgotten who I am, or who I used to be. Tell him I'll be ten minutes!"

Then she headed for the spare room as Lucinda ran down the stairs to tell the Doctor the good news.

* * *

The door to the Tardis was open, and Lucinda stood there in the open doorway, looked out again, then inside at the vast room where the Doctor had been inspecting the redesigned console.

"What did she say?" he asked as he hurried to the door to meet her.

"She said she wants to come with you."

"I hope she means it. Do you think she means it?"

Lucinda thought about it.

"Well she did seen unsure at first but then she changed her mind."

"I hope she doesn't change it back!" he said.

"You will look after her – if she goes with you?" she asked him.

"Of course I will," he promised, "And this is a time machine – we can come back any time we want. I won't let any harm come to your mother -I've waited too long to find her again."

And he looked to the house, thought of every journey he had ever made to this place, and hoped that this time, they really would be leaving together.

 _The Doctor waited, and waited._

 _And continued to wait, standing outside the Tardis with Lucinda as the minutes passed by..._

"She said ten minutes, its been fifteen," he remarked, and worry clouded his eyes.

"She'll be here," Lucinda said, and silently hoped that she was right.

* * *

Tina had been busy.

She had not hurried to get ready like this since her teens and a friend had called at the last minute and invited her to a party. She had taken some stuff from the spare room, got changed, and put on make up and as she turned off the hair dryer and shook her big hair she smiled as she saw reflected in the mirror someone she hadn't seen for a _very_ long time...

She got up and grabbed her bag and her camera, and then she ran back to the dressing table, grabbed a lipstick and smiled as she scrawled a message across the mirror. Then she dashed out the door and down the stairs, hurrying to meet the man who had been almost thirty years late.

* * *

"I'm ready to go!" she yelled as she ran towards the Tardis.

The Doctor looked at her in surprise - now she looked very much like the girl he had met in his Twelfth life, she was wearing the same zebra print leggings and a black, tight top beneath a cropped leather jacket, and she still had the figure to carry it well. Her make up was all smoky eyes and red lipstick and her hair was big and scrunched up and fell in honey coloured tendrils to her shoulders.

Lucinda stared at her.

"You look so different..."

"And I'm ready to go!" she replied, and she grabbed the Doctor and kissed him, leaving a lipstick print on his cheek as she held out the camera.

"Come here, Lucinda," she said, and her daughter stepped closer, laughing as she glanced at her mother.

"I can't believe you look so surprised!" Tina exclaimed.

"And I can't believe my Mum is wearing a boob tube!" her daughter said.

The flash went off and the picture slid out and then Lucinda stepped back, watching as her mother placed her bags and the camera inside the Tardis doorway, then she and the Doctor embraced and kissed and spoke softly to each other.

"Be careful," she reminded her.

"I'll be fine," Tina replied, and the Doctor wiped off a lipstick smudge with the back of his hand and smiled at Lucinda.

"I'll take care of her," he promised.

Then she watched as Tina went inside the Tardis and the Doctor followed.

They stood at the console as he looked into her eyes.

"All of time and space, here we come!" he said, and he snapped his fingers and the Tardis doors closed. There was a groan and the sound of rushing wind as leaves whipped about like a mini tornado had just hit, and then the blue box faded out of sight and vanished.

* * *

As the last of the leaves fell to the ground, so did a polaroid picture. It was developed now, and as she picked it up and saw the image of herself and her mother and the Doctor standing together by the Tardis, she hoped it wouldn't be long until she saw her again. Then Lucinda turned away and went back inside the house. She remembered the Doctor's promise and hoped he could keep it – travelling through time and space sounded dangerous, and she wanted her mother to be safe.

She went upstairs and decided to put the new picture with the others, in her mother's bedroom, and as she placed the third polaroid beside the other two, she turned her head, and that was when she saw it:

 _Her mother had left her a note._

Actually it was a message, scrawled in lipstick all over the dressing table mirror. But after seeing such a change in her, she guessed she shouldn't have felt so surprised that the parent who had raised her with the stern warning _never_ to write on walls or furniture had done such a thing, because this was who she really was, the person she used to be, who she had found again.

She read the message:

 _'Lucinda – don't worry - I'm happy at last – I waited 27 years for this date! It's going to be excellent! Love Mum'_

There was a huge X beneath it to sign off with a kiss, and as she looked to the lipstick covered mirror and then back to the pictures, she started to smile:

Of _course_ her Mum was going to be happy, she had waited decades for this man to return, and now he had, they were finally together. And that explained everything she needed to know – he was the reason why her mother was happy at last. She had waited long enough, and now her time had come, and she felt happy for her, because everyone deserved to have an adventure – even if it had been a _very_ long time coming.

End

* * *

Author Note:

 **Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed, I'll just mention this Fic has a sequel currently in progress, Book 2 is called Payback.**


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